12:30pm: The organization has announced the signing, with general manager Dave Caldwell releasing a statement (via Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com):
“We had the opportunity to spend time with Stefen earlier this month and remained in contact with him with the hopes of getting a deal done. We are excited to get him on board before we officially start our offseason conditioning program next week. He gives us great position flexibility along our offensive line as he has started at both center and guard during his career. He has a familiarity with our offensive system and brings a lot of experience to our offensive line room.”
12:13pm: After visiting numerous teams this offseason, Stefen Wisniewski has finally found a home. According to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), the Jaguars have inked the center to a one-year deal. The deal is worth $2.5MM, according to Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo (via Twitter).
Wisniewski had spent his entire four-year career with the Raiders, starting 61 games. The Penn State product missed only three games in those four seasons, and he managed to play 16 games in 2014 in spite of a torn labrum. The injury resulted in Wisniewski undergoing surgery this offseason, and it also provided a possible explanation for the player remaining unsigned for so long.
Pro Football Focus (subscription required) gave Wisniewski high marks for his performance during the 2012 and 2013 seasons, as the center ranked in the top-20 among eligible center candidates. He received his first negative rating in 2014, but he still ranked 22nd among 41 candidates.
The 26-year-old had attracted attention from many teams, including the Titans, Seahawks, Patriots and Washington. The Jaguars had been rumored to be eyeing the former second-round pick, but reports yesterday suggested the organization hadn’t reached out to the center. He was listed as the 39th best free agent in our ranking of the top 50 free agents.